It is rare for an NFL team to fire a coach just a year into his tenure with the organization, but at 0-7, New York Jets fans are calling for Aaron Glenn’s job.
Poor offensive execution, inconsistent defense, and bad in-game decisions have been staples of Glenn’s first two months with the Jets. As the season progresses, many of those same issues remain unresolved.
To some fans, that’s enough of a sign that the head coach is overwhelmed. They’ve called on Jets owner Woody Johnson to step in and begin the process of replacing the current staff just a year into the job.
At the league meetings on Tuesday morning, however, Johnson attempted to cool the heat and anger directed at his head coach.
Johnson defends Jets coach
For those who have pushed for a coaching change following the completion of the 2025 season, Johnson’s comments will come as a significant disappointment. Not only did the Jets’ owner defend Glenn, but he made it clear he still believed in what the coach was trying to build.
“I do believe in Aaron,” Johnson said, per Newsday’s Tom Rock. “I’ve always been a fan of him. I see the way he handles a room. If I were a player, I would respond to him because he’s the real deal. No (expletive), there’s no second agendas. What you’re hearing is the truth. And a lot of time players don’t get the truth; they get a lot of gobbledygook.”
That doesn’t sound like an owner angry at how his coach has run the team. It sounds like someone willing to give the current regime as much time and support as needed to succeed.
And that’s a stark difference from the last couple of seasons.
Trust has been hard to rebuild in Florham Park. Anonymous reports throughout the Robert Saleh era painted Johnson as an overbearing owner who didn’t know how to run a professional football team.
Those reports, accurate or not, faded when the front office brought in the 33rd Team to advise on the hiring process. More than 15 candidates were considered for the job.
New York ultimately chose Glenn to lead the team. If Johnson were to lose faith now, it would mean admitting he no longer trusted the people he brought in to find the team’s next leader.
For better or worse, Johnson doesn’t really have a choice. He’s long believed in Glenn’s passion and plan to fix the Jets. He appears willing to wait beyond one season to see if it will work.
The Jets are still 0-7.
And with each loss, frustration grows. In Johnson’s view, the blame falls on one position group.
Quarterback concerns
There are many reasons the Jets are winless through the first two months of the season, but according to Johnson, it starts at quarterback.
“I just think defense, special teams are doing better,” Johnson said. “Defense is pretty good. If we could just complete a pass, it would look good. We got to complete some passes.”
Johnson’s frustration seems justified. Quarterback Justin Fields recently went back-to-back weeks without scoring an offensive touchdown—and failed to throw for 100 yards in either game.
He was benched in Sunday’s 13-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The improved play from the rest of the team, Johnson said, is a sign that Glenn still has control of the locker room. That’s often the first test of whether a head coach should stay or go. The fact that players remain engaged is a reason Johnson may give Glenn more time—and another chance to find the right quarterback.
With Fields on the sideline, the team no longer needs to talk itself into believing he’s the long-term answer for 2026 and beyond.
What it means for 2026
Johnson’s public remarks on Tuesday made one thing clear: Aaron Glenn is going nowhere after this season.
It doesn’t matter if the team wins just two games—or somehow turns things around to become competitive.
At the very least, this staff will get the chance to fix what didn’t work. That includes drafting a future franchise quarterback and having the resources to reshape the roster.
Frustrating or not, that’s the reality for Jets fans, and there doesn’t seem to be anything this season that will change Johnson’s mind.
